Would you change your own major if you could go back?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
As a parent, I will lety kid choose their major without trying to backseat drive. You get one shot at college, study what you want.

It's one thing to do that when college was cheap decades ago, but now college costs an insane amount of money, "study what you want" is frankly stupid.

But so is forcing your kid into a major they don't want-- they won't ever get the value out of it because they won't work hard at a career in a field they hate.

It has to be balanced. They can choose their major but need to have a reasonable plan for employment/career.

Or even worse, they will work hard at a career in a field they hate

And be miserable their whole life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Majored in Philosophy & English. Instead, may have done Astronomy & Biology.

Absolutely! Majored in English. Although helpful and of interest to me, I’d rather have tried Speech and Language pathology. Or nursing. Or Environmental Science.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
As a parent, I will lety kid choose their major without trying to backseat drive. You get one shot at college, study what you want.

It's one thing to do that when college was cheap decades ago, but now college costs an insane amount of money, "study what you want" is frankly stupid.

But so is forcing your kid into a major they don't want-- they won't ever get the value out of it because they won't work hard at a career in a field they hate.

It has to be balanced. They can choose their major but need to have a reasonable plan for employment/career.

Speak for yourself. I'm eternally grateful my parents forced me into a field I hated (engineering). The money is unbeatable.

Engineering salaries don’t align with the difficulty of the education. Maybe software engineering? But I’m always surprised that engineers make what they do. The salaries seem low. So imagine hating school and hating your job for 40 years only to feel underpaid.

[Anonymous]

Biology? No, I love it!
My husband would still have picked his MD, PhD thing, and my kid is also pursing his passion.

[Anonymous]

I was biology and chemistry. No regrets, I was good at both and very much so enjoyed what I was doing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
As a parent, I will lety kid choose their major without trying to backseat drive. You get one shot at college, study what you want.

It's one thing to do that when college was cheap decades ago, but now college costs an insane amount of money, "study what you want" is frankly stupid.

But so is forcing your kid into a major they don't want-- they won't ever get the value out of it because they won't work hard at a career in a field they hate.

It has to be balanced. They can choose their major but need to have a reasonable plan for employment/career.

Speak for yourself. I'm eternally grateful my parents forced me into a field I hated (engineering). The money is unbeatable.

Well everyone has their own values, for sure. You value money over personal misery. And that's fine! Money brings you security and happiness. Some of us value our contentedness with daily life and work over earning high dollars. And that is also fine.

--someone who earns enough in the arts to live just fine and is happy my parents did not force me into any field.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
As a parent, I will lety kid choose their major without trying to backseat drive. You get one shot at college, study what you want.

It's one thing to do that when college was cheap decades ago, but now college costs an insane amount of money, "study what you want" is frankly stupid.

But so is forcing your kid into a major they don't want-- they won't ever get the value out of it because they won't work hard at a career in a field they hate.

It has to be balanced. They can choose their major but need to have a reasonable plan for employment/career.

Speak for yourself. I'm eternally grateful my parents forced me into a field I hated (engineering). The money is unbeatable.

Well everyone has their own values, for sure. You value money over personal misery. And that's fine! Money brings you security and happiness. Some of us value our contentedness with daily life and work over earning high dollars. And that is also fine.

--someone who earns enough in the arts to live just fine and is happy my parents did not force me into any field.

The only people I know who say this either have wealthy parents or married well.

[Anonymous]

No, I would still be the same major but I wish I had known about more types of careers. My parents were very narrow about what was acceptable to do and professors didn't have advice either. I also didn't really know what talents I had until I started working and discovered them. I also saw that there were a lot if interesting career paths that one could take and be successful at them which had never occurred to anyone I knew or to me.

[Anonymous]

I majored in Chemistry and should have done ChemE instead. Significantly more useful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
As a parent, I will lety kid choose their major without trying to backseat drive. You get one shot at college, study what you want.

It's one thing to do that when college was cheap decades ago, but now college costs an insane amount of money, "study what you want" is frankly stupid.

But so is forcing your kid into a major they don't want-- they won't ever get the value out of it because they won't work hard at a career in a field they hate.

It has to be balanced. They can choose their major but need to have a reasonable plan for employment/career.

Speak for yourself. I'm eternally grateful my parents forced me into a field I hated (engineering). The money is unbeatable.

Well everyone has their own values, for sure. You value money over personal misery. And that's fine! Money brings you security and happiness. Some of us value our contentedness with daily life and work over earning high dollars. And that is also fine.

--someone who earns enough in the arts to live just fine and is happy my parents did not force me into any field.

The only people I know who say this either have wealthy parents or married well.

Not PP but another person who earns enough in non profit work and is happy my parents didn’t force me into any field. I married a writer and we most certainly don’t have wealthy parents. I am just not frightened to death a modest income. Most of the world lives on much, much less and find life worth living. I don’t see any point in wasting my one shot at life doing stuff I dont find meaningful for 40plus hours a week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes would have chose different major. Probably different school too.

I am just the sum of many bad decisions.

You are not alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
As a parent, I will lety kid choose their major without trying to backseat drive. You get one shot at college, study what you want.

It's one thing to do that when college was cheap decades ago, but now college costs an insane amount of money, "study what you want" is frankly stupid.

But so is forcing your kid into a major they don't want-- they won't ever get the value out of it because they won't work hard at a career in a field they hate.

It has to be balanced. They can choose their major but need to have a reasonable plan for employment/career.

Speak for yourself. I'm eternally grateful my parents forced me into a field I hated (engineering). The money is unbeatable.

Well everyone has their own values, for sure. You value money over personal misery. And that's fine! Money brings you security and happiness. Some of us value our contentedness with daily life and work over earning high dollars. And that is also fine.

--someone who earns enough in the arts to live just fine and is happy my parents did not force me into any field.

The only people I know who say this either have wealthy parents or married well.

I know quite a few musicians and artists who live solely off their art and are happy. They aren't DCUM wealthy but they aren't poor.

[Anonymous]

I majored in journalism.

I should have majored in literally anything else.

[Anonymous]

Degree is in EE, but should have also considered studying Economics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, I would still be the same major but I wish I had known about more types of careers. My parents were very narrow about what was acceptable to do and professors didn't have advice either. I also didn't really know what talents I had until I started working and discovered them. I also saw that there were a lot if interesting career paths that one could take and be successful at them which had never occurred to anyone I knew or to me.

Same. I remember my high school counselor recommending nursing or teaching. So many more options.